Got teens - it's about time we had a Girl Talk, yes?

I remember the one (and only) time I ever saw my father flat-out drunk.

It was New Years Day in 1978 (I was 14) and we were on our way home from spending the entire night celebrating at The Hungarian Club, but my twin brother and I had to help my mother carry our father to the car, insisting that he was just too "happy" to drive.

We carried him upstairs, sat him on the bed and tried hard NOT to burst out in a fit of giggles, as he tried to pull his turtleneck off his head and somehow managed to twist it into something resembling a straight jacket.

We STILL laugh at that one!

"Um...Mom...have you been drinking, again?"

We've recently allowed my two oldest girls (they're 14 and 12) to stay up a little longer than my two youngest (they're 9 and 6) because...well, they're older now, you know and...YES...this is where the conversation pretty much came to a screeching halt..

"NO...I haven't had a drink ALL night...why would you EVEN say that?!?"

I know, just wait.

"Well, you're acting all hyper and giggly and stuff...and...um...sorry."

Oh, it gets worse.

"Maybe I'm just in a good mood...OKAY!"

And that right there, my friends, is when I totally blew any chances of finding out just how in the hell my precious little daughters knew from being drunk, not to mention actually "listening" to what they were saying!

True story.  Happened during the premier of Deadliest Catch, just this week.  Regrettably, it's not the first time and it won't be the last.  Talking to my teens is...well...sometimes, it's NOT very easy.  But, it was before I received the blogosphere's most perfect marketing pitch:

Hi Liz,

Given that you have a 14 year old and soon-to-be teen, I was wondering whether you'd be interested in checking out one of my client's projects aimed at curbing underage drinking amongst teen girls?

OMG (as my girls would say) the timing couldn't be better, as I quickly clicked on to learn more about the awesome campaign at Grltlk.org:

Girl Talk: Choices and Consequences of Underage Drinking is a program of The Century Council, a national not-for-profit organization funded by distillers dedicated to fighting drunk driving and underage drinking.

My husband and I have yet to "formally" approach the subject of underage drinking, beyond telling them that "It's very bad," prefaced by "Just don't do it!"  So, I visited with their website and just reading THIS was enough to make me want to pull a turtleneck over my head, too:

In 2007, an estimated 8.5 million 12-20 year old girls report consuming alcohol in the past year.

Still not sure about how to talk to your teen about drinking?  Me either - let's face it, as our precious little babies grow older, their mommy deafness increases exponentially - but, they DO listen to stuff on the Internets and that's where I believe that Girl Talk can really help.

Here's what you can learn and do on this website:

1. Learn the facts on how alcohol affects your mind and body
Find information about the dangers of underage drinking and the specific risks facing teenage girls.

2. Find resources on leading healthy and active lifestyles
You can find lifestyle articles on decisions facing teens just like you and advice from experts on a range of issues, the latest trends in fashion and beauty, and even a place to ask your most pressing questions.

3. Stay Connected
Stay updated on all things Girl Talk; sign up for our e-newsletter, friends us on MySpace and Facebook, and subscribe to our blog.

Or, just watch the video at Alot2lose.com:

The Century Council held a nationwide competition asking young girls to send in videos persuading their peers not to drink. The winner, a student at UC-Berkeley, won $5K and the chance to re-shoot her video as a PSA with professionals.

The video, called ‘What You Don’t Know’, highlights what happens when teens’ illegal drinking escapades turn up on social networking sites.

Either way, you can't lose and I wouldn't want you guys to miss any chance(s) to talk with your teens about difficult stuff, like underage drinking...or, ANYTHING really important...like, I did the first time.

Now, I'm loaded with information and ready to listen...sort of.

BTW:  The young woman, Kylee Darcy, who won the award is going to be on the Weekend TODAY Show on Sunday Morning (4/20) sometime between 8-9:30 a.m. to discuss why she was interested in ALot2Lose campaign and the pressures she feels young women face when it comes to drinking underage.

I urge all of my blogging mommy (and daddy) friends to either watch the piece on the TODAY Show, take a look at the video, visit the website, or do ALL three, if you can.  Also, feel free to pass the word along, or please leave a comment here, whether or not you've talked to your teen about drinking.

Girl Talk will be watching and, more importantly, they're listening.

Comments

[Tammy]

thank you so much for the list of resources...this is exactly what I've been looking for!

[JayMonster]

This is a fantastic list. I have generally worked with my father, and grandfather's simple premise (and it worked well for me... at least early on).

They did not make a big deal or hide alcohol (how could they, with wine flowing freely at Sunday Dinner every week). They didn't make it taboo. They even at a fairly early age (13 I think), start having a small amount of wine with Sunday Dinner.

What they made clear (crystal) from the start was, that this was a privelidge that I was allowed so long as I did not sneak or lie about drinking (or drink outside the house) otherwise all rights would be taken away.

By not making it such a curiousity, it really helped me not be so darned interested in "experimenting" with my friends, been there done that, and I can do it at home without sneaking around drinking some crap.

I don't know if it is the right answer in today's world, but I know it certainly worked on a think headed Italian Kid from Jersey. :)

[Dana]

I think it's great that you are touching on this subject. As the daughter of a tavern owner, I've seen what drinking does to people and the consequences of being irresponsible with alcohol.

My father laid down the law with us when we were very young. I don't know if we listened because he was right or because we were scared, but either way it's important to educate our kids as soon as they start showing comprehension.

What a great program and website!

(Oh, and I dugg this for you')

[Nadine]

Very informative post. I don't have teens any longer. They are grown up and out of the house. Being responsible with alcohol is a listen they can never learn too early.

[Linda]

Alcohol starts to show up in your child's life during middle school, and by high school it is hard to avoid and hard to resist when "everyone is doing it." The threat of being publicly embarassed on Facebook is good. Also, kids need to hear how just a few drinks can make them brainless enough to keep drinking, sometimes to the point of being disgustingly sick...or doing something really dangerous. And friends cannot be counted on to stop you from doing something crazy or dangerous because they either don't want to confront you or they are drunk, too.

[Believer in Balance]

Thanks for sharing that great resource! 12 year olds! Yikes!